Below average summer: Weather service shows cool, dry summer for county in 2009

ARENAC COUNTY — Between the months of June and August this year, Arenac County’s temperatures and precipitation were below normal.

Statistics from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Gaylord show that in Standish, this year’s average high in August was 77.8 degrees Fahrenheit (F), nine-tenths of a degree lower than last year’s August highs and one degree less than the average high in August between the years of 1971 and 2000.

However, the contrasts in June and July this year were even more drastic when compared to the other years.

This year’s average high in July was a lukewarm 76.3 degrees F, while last year July averaged 80.7 degrees and 81.2 degrees was the monthly average high from 1971 to 2000.

June 2009 had similar results to July, averaging highs in the low 70’s – 73.8 degrees F – while Junes in the 30-year period of 71-2000 usually had highs on 76.5 degrees F and 2008’s sixth month usually peaked out at 77 degrees F.

When it comes to rainfall, the Standish numbers were also below the available historical averages.

In August, the area was sprinkled with 3.47 inches of rain – much higher than last year, when 2.53 inches were dropped in a dry August but lower than the rainfall average in August from 1971 to 2000, 3.82 inches.

While August was pretty steady when compared to historical trends, July this year was unarguably dry, as only 1.51 inches drizzled in Standish. July 2008 saw 4.1 inches dumped in the area, which was 1.4 inches higher than the 30 year July average of 2.67 inches.

June 2009 was the wet month of the summer this year, albeit only about ten days in June were technically summer days, as 3.83 inches rained down on Arenac County. This is only .04 inches higher than last year’s June precipitation and .5 inches higher than the average June rainfall from 1971 – 2000.

Overall, from June to August in 2009, the rainfall per month averaged 2.9 inches; .5 inches lower than in 2008’s three-month stretch and .4 inches lower than the same three-month stretch from the early 70’s to the turn of the decade.